-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Once thought to be a leading reformer inside the Libyan government , Saif al-Islam Gadhafi has emerged as one of his father 's most-visible defenders .

Saif , 38 , has never lived a day in which his father Moammar did n't rule Libya -- as its undisputed leader inside the country and an enigmatic , controversial voice for the world .

And yet , as the Libyan government faced a stiff popular uprising , it was Moammar Gadhafi 's second eldest son -- and not the Leader of the Revolution himself -- who was first to talk to the nation about the unrest and detail a plan to address it .

In early March Saif made it known his feeling about outside intervention into the unrest in Libya .

`` We 're not afraid of the America fleet , NATO , France . You people , this is our country . We live here , we die here . We will never , ever surrender to those terrorists . Libyan nation is so united now . We are so strong , '' he said .

That was March . This is now . And still , Saif 's name makes front-page news .

Citing unnamed British government sources , the Guardian newspaper reported Friday that a senior adviser to Saif -- Mohammed Ismael -- was in London for secret talks with British officials .

Ismael told CNN earlier this week that he would be traveling to London for family reasons . Calls placed to his mobile phone were not answered Friday .

But Guma El-Gamaty , a leader of the Libyan opposition , said Ismael 's visit was anything but personal .

`` Our sources from Tripoli tell us that Saif has sent Mohammed Ismael to London with a specific offer . The offer is that Colonel Gadhafi will go into retirement , inside Libya , perhaps in his town of Sirte or Sabha in the south and Saif will take over and oversee some sort of reforms , '' he told CNN 's Becky Anderson .

Asked about the Guardian report , a British Foreign Office spokesman neither confirmed nor denied it . `` We are not going to provide running commentary on our contacts with Libyan officials , '' the spokesman said . `` In any contact that we do have , we make it clear that Gadhafi has to go . ''

Meanwhile , sources close to Gadhafi have told CNN that any transition in Libya would involve his son , Saif , who has long been seen as a possible successor to his father .

Saif has denied any such desire , but others were interested in the idea for some time because he was considered more modern in his thinking , even reform minded by many Libya watchers . But that was before his recent and very public vows to fight to the `` last bullet . ''

Among his relatives , Saif was seen in some ways as the polar opposite of his father .

Whereas Moammar Gadhafi years ago launched a program to `` destroy imported ideologies , whether they are Eastern or Western , '' his son speaks fluent English , earned his PhD from the London School of Economics , written an op-ed

in the New York Times and has been a frequent go-between in talks with international officials .

Moammar rarely goes anywhere without a distinctive tribal dress and an ornate Bedouin tent . The well-traveled Saif , meanwhile , is more likely to appear in Western business attire : a suit and tie .

While the father runs a nation , his son 's main job -- at least before his 2009 appointment as General Coordinator , a position like many in the nation 's government with few guidelines -- was heading a charity , the Gadhafi Foundation .

And lastly , while the elder Gadhafi is known for his heavy-handed rule in Libya and its restrictions on civil rights and more , Saif Gadhafi fashioned himself as a human rights advocate and pushed for democratic and institutional reforms that could give more power and freedoms to the people .

David Held , a professor at London School of Economics and Saif Gadhafi 's academic advisor , said Gadhafi knew he had a dilemma .

`` He was torn , '' said Held . `` There was a dilemma in his heart between loyalty to his father and the regime and on the other hand desperately realizng that the Gadhafi regime was untenable , unjustified and the reform utterly crucial . ''

Still , his status as a leading reformer and pull with foreign diplomats have dropped significantly since the start of the uprising .

And for all their differences , Saif 's standing in the world is largely defined by his father 's role . While some may see the son as more open to change , there 's little question that his loyalty remains first with Moammar .

`` He 's the heir apparent , '' CNN National Security Contributor Fran Townsend said about Saif . `` The question will be , will he be able to retain control in light of the current chaos ? ''

CNN 's Greg Botelho contributed to this report .

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Saif al-Islam Gadhafi , 38 , was once thought to be a leading reformer

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He has emerged as one of his father 's most-visible defenders

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Sources close to Gadhafi tell CNN any transition in Libya would involve Saif

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`` He 's the heir apparent , '' says CNN National Security Contributor Fran Townsend